Alabama's Foster progressing towards contributing role

Published: Thursday, August 22, 2013 at 10:17 PM.

Reuben Foster is one of many Crimson Tide freshmen who don’t look the part. Oh, they look like football players, and good ones at that, but some of them definitely don’t look like freshmen.

Foster passes for a veteran even if he doesn’t quite play like one just yet.

The 6-foot-1, 244-pound middle linebacker is physically impressive. His instincts jump off the page, and once he lines a player up, look out. He’ll flatten a ball carrier, smile, help him off the ground, then run back to the huddle laughing. That’s Foster.

University of Alabama coach Nick Saban said Foster’s reps have increased throughout fall camp. In coachspeak, that means Foster has a chance to earn a contributing role on the team.

“He really has made a lot of progress,” Saban said. “He got a stinger in his neck, which kept him out a couple days at practice. But I think he made a tremendous amount of progress from the first scrimmage to the second scrimmage and really made a lot of plays in the second scrimmage. So we actually are increasing his reps. We’re trying to get his learning curve up to where he’s somebody that could be helpful to us this year. So we’re really pleased with his progress.”

He was the No. 1-rated inside linebacker in the country by Rivals.com, tallying 102 tackles, including 22 for loss and six sacks, his senior year at Auburn High School. A season earlier at Troup County High School in LaGrange, Ga., Foster recorded an eye-popping 185 stops with 18 sacks.

His credentials got him to Alabama, but now he must compete for playing time against athletes who were highly recruited as well. He was recruited by his position coach and UA’s defensive coordinator, Kirby Smart.

Reuben Foster is one of many Crimson Tide freshmen who don’t look the part. Oh, they look like football players, and good ones at that, but some of them definitely don’t look like freshmen.

Foster passes for a veteran even if he doesn’t quite play like one just yet.

The 6-foot-1, 244-pound middle linebacker is physically impressive. His instincts jump off the page, and once he lines a player up, look out. He’ll flatten a ball carrier, smile, help him off the ground, then run back to the huddle laughing. That’s Foster.

University of Alabama coach Nick Saban said Foster’s reps have increased throughout fall camp. In coachspeak, that means Foster has a chance to earn a contributing role on the team.

“He really has made a lot of progress,” Saban said. “He got a stinger in his neck, which kept him out a couple days at practice. But I think he made a tremendous amount of progress from the first scrimmage to the second scrimmage and really made a lot of plays in the second scrimmage. So we actually are increasing his reps. We’re trying to get his learning curve up to where he’s somebody that could be helpful to us this year. So we’re really pleased with his progress.”

He was the No. 1-rated inside linebacker in the country by Rivals.com, tallying 102 tackles, including 22 for loss and six sacks, his senior year at Auburn High School. A season earlier at Troup County High School in LaGrange, Ga., Foster recorded an eye-popping 185 stops with 18 sacks.

His credentials got him to Alabama, but now he must compete for playing time against athletes who were highly recruited as well. He was recruited by his position coach and UA’s defensive coordinator, Kirby Smart.

“I think Reuben’s done a good job of adapting and becoming part of this team,” Smart said. “He does have a lot of guys that can help him around him. A lot of guys that were highly touted like he was. And he’s been very receptive to that from them.”

Working along side veterans such as C.J. Mosley and Trey DePriest has eased the learning curve. Even though he’s just a freshman, Foster has the ability and potential to help the Tide this season, his teammates say.

“He’s just learning well,” senior linebacker Mosley said. “The main thing for him, and for all the freshmen this year, is, ‘Be coachable, and try and be fast thinking on your feet.’ So a lot of the things he was messing up in camp, you’re starting to see him better now in practice. That’s a plus for him.”